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Study Type – Symptom prevalence (non‐consecutive cohort)
Level of Evidence 4 What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add? There have been no previous studies examining the overlap of chronic constipation and overactive bladder in the US population. Limited research to date based on samples of elderly, Asian and pediatric populations suggests that there is substantial overlap. The results of this study suggest that the prevalence of chronic constipation is increased in people with overactive bladder who are ≥40 years and should be considered by healthcare providers treating these patients. OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence and overlap of overactive bladder (OAB), chronic constipation (CC) and faecal incontinence (FI) among a general population sample of adults in the USA. PATIENTS AND METHODS A cross‐sectional internet‐based survey of randomly selected panel members who were ≥40 years of age was conducted. Participants reported how often they experienced symptoms of OAB, CC and FI using Likert scales and modified Rome III criteria. Analyses were conducted to examine the overall prevalence of OAB, CC and FI in men and women separately and to characterize the extent of overlap between these conditions in participants with OAB vs those without OAB, and those participants with continent vs incontinent OAB. RESULTS The response rate for the survey was 62.2% and the final sample (N= 2000) included 927 men and 1073 women. The overall prevalence of OAB [defined as a response of ≥‘sometimes’ to urinary urgency (i.e. ‘sometimes’ or more often) or ‘yes’ to urinary urgency incontinence (UUI)] was 26.1% in men and 41.2% in women. The overall prevalence of CC was significantly lower in men than in women (15.3 vs 26.3%), but both men and women with OAB were significantly more likely to report CC (22.3 and 35.9% vs 5.7 and 6.7%, respectively, P < 0.0001). The overall prevalence of FI reported ‘rarely’ or more was 16.7% of men and 21.9% of women. Men and women with OAB were significantly more likely to report FI than those without OAB. FI was also more common in participants with incontinent OAB than in those with continent OAB. Logistic regressions controlling for demographic factors and comorbid conditions suggest that OAB status is a very strong predictor of CC, FI and overlapping CC and FI (odds ratios, range 3.55–7.96). CONCLUSIONS Chronic constipation, FI and overlapping CC and faecal incontinence occur more frequently in patients with OAB and should be considered when evaluating and treating patients with OAB. These findings suggest a shared pathophysiology among these conditions. Additional study is needed to determine if successful treatment of one or more of these conditions is accompanied by commensurate improvement in symptoms referable to the other organ system.

The relationship between bladder and bowel function should be considered when treating patients with urinary symptoms, bowel symptoms, or both.

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As the burden of diabetes continues to grow and treatment standards require careful tracking of wound progress, clinicians increasingly need to rely on technological improvements in wound measurement technologies to track the progress of their treatments. This study aims to determine the accuracy of a new three-dimensional wound measurement (3DWM) device against laser-assisted wound measurement (LAWM) devices and traditional methods of wound measurement. Using several wound models, we demonstrate that the 3DWM device measures wound area, depth and volume similarly to the other methods tested. This is especially apparent when changes in wound measurements were compared between the two devices. Differences between the two technologies were apparent when analysing wound measurement time and measurement repeatability. There was a significantly lower incidence of error in measurements between the 3DWM device and the LAWM device. Finally, the measurement time was significantly faster with the 3DWM device compared to the LAWM device. Together, these data demonstrate that the 3DWM device provides an accurate and reproducible method for measuring changes in wound healing similar to other available technologies. Further, the use of the 3DWM device provides a faster and more consistent measurement, which is critical for clinical application and use.